For
the last 17
years, backpacking has become a passion. I am a four-season backpacker
and an off-trail navigator. Although
I do take yearly trips to the American West or Southwest, the majority
of my trips are in Michigan and Canada.
My pack weight varies considerably but my base weight is below 18 lb
(8 kg). I am primarily a tarp camper who averages more than 50 nights a
year backpacking in a huge variety of weather conditions including
relentless rain, wet snow and sub-zero temps.

The Outdoor Research Celestial Pants are one of two pant selections
featured in the Storm category by the manufacturer. Both pants
in that division are created with the use of waterproof but breathable
fabric. They feature fully taped seams for protection from the
elements.

The Celestial Pants are available in both men's and women's sizes in
the color of black. The pants are not only lightweight, but
compressible
to reduce bulk when they are stowed. Features include 15 D Gore-Tex
Paclite fabric, an elastic waist with drawcord closure, a zippered
security pocket, articulated knees, below-the-knee water resistant
zippers, elasticized cuff closures with snaps, and loops for instep
laces. The Celestial Jacket is also available to
make a complete storm outfit.

Product Description
and Initial ImpressionsThe
Outdoor Research Celestial Pants arrived in fine condition. The Paclite
fabric, the taped seams, the water-resistant zippers, the elastic
waist, and other detailing are all finished very neatly. I requested
the pants in a size Large so that they could easily accommodate several
layers of clothing underneath. I rarely wear rainpants without an
additional layer
or two underneath. Often that includes my trail pants and long
underwear in the cooler months. I tried them on with two layers of
clothing and the
fit was perfect. Alone they are just as nice looking without the extra
layers. I was also happy to find that the 32 in (81 cm) inseam was
long enough to cover over the length of my trail pants. The pants only are
available in the color of black.A couple
of booklet-type hangtags were attached to the pants. One
referenced the qualities of the Gore-Tex Paclite material used to
fabricate
the pants and the other
stated the numerous features of the OR Women's Celestial Pants.

Paclite is the lightest of all waterproof
fabrics that are manufactured by Gore-Tex. The Gore-Tex membrane is
made
out of an advanced composite of two different polymers. Water
cannot penetrate from the outside but according to the manufacturer the
vapor from perspiration can
escape outwards. The breathable fabric has a slightly crisp feel to it
and the fabric is supposed to stay waterproof even after extended use.
Besides the
waterproof nature of the fabric, all of the seams are sealed with
GORE-SEAM tape. In addition, the two lower leg (side) zippers that are sewn into the pants
are
water-resistant and the edges of them are also taped.The waistband of
the pants features two methods of fit. The back edge
of the waistband has a wide elastic band (1.4 in/3.5 cm) sewn to the
inside
edge. It features four parallel rows of gripper-like
lines. The front side of the waistband has an encased elastic cord with
a
center toggle to either take up additional slack or to loosen the
fit. The back edge of the waistband has several tags inserted into the
inside
seam. They include a size tag, an OR company tag, a fabric content tag,
a
washing instructions tag and a hang loop.

There is a roomy security pocket on the right side of the back of the
pants. It has a flap closure over a regular (non-water resistant)
zipper and the
inside of the pocket is made out of two mesh layers. The mesh layers
are approximately 8 in (20 cm) square. The pocket would likely hold
several
items securely if needed.The bottom edges
of the pants have two closure-type features. Each leg of
the pants has an 17 in (43 cm) water-resistant zipper that opens from
each bottom edge upward. The front side of the bottom edge has
a tab with a snap closure that protects the bottom edge of the zipper.
The backside of the bottom edge has elastic sewn to its hem. The
elastic is very similar to the waistband's elastic in that it has the
same
grip like feature but it's a narrower width. The smallest
circumference of the leg opening is a full 16 in (41 cm). It can be
stretched further apart but not reduced. There are also small grosgrain
ribbon loops sewn into the inside bottom hem near the inner and outer
leg seams. These loops are reportedly used for instep laces. I'm not
familiar with this feature as to how they should work but I will
certainly experiment with that idea during the test period.The front left hip area
of
the pants is adorned with the OR flower symbol representing a
women's-specific
garment. The back of the pants has an embroidered Gore-Tex Paclite logo
beneath the pocket and the company's OR symbol above the knee.

I am well
acquainted with the qualities that make great rainwear. I
have owned and used at least a score of rain garments throughout the
years. Reliable amounts of precipitation are a
given all months of the year in the environment where I backpack. I'm
looking forward to the next several months of testing the Celestial
Pants on many multi-day backpacking trips as well as during day
activities.

During
the field test period, I have worn the Outdoor Research Celestial Pants
during
two
multi-day backpacking trips. Total days in the field during those two
trips
amounted to nineteen. In addition, the pants were worn during a
four-day
rustic cabin trip with daily dayhikes and frequently worn or carried
for trail
runs and other outings (usually about 3 times a week). Locations ranged
from
and included boreal, conifer and deciduous
forest communities with many rock outcroppings to mountainous
glacial terrain.
Elevation ranged from 600 ft (183 m) to approximately 8000 ft (2400 m).

I have worn the Celestial Pants extensively during
the field test period. During my ten-day Glacier National Park Trip,
the pants were worn
primarily for wind and cold protection during both the morning and
evening hours at
camp. I layered the Celestial Pants over my trail pants
for the cooler temperatures. During several of the nights they were
also
worn while I slept in my sleeping bag. One morning it rained quite
heavily so the
pants were worn to fend off the wet vegetation. The pants both layered
quite
nicely and were comfortable to sleep in. The waist elastic didn't
bind or irritate.

Water
ProtectionDuring
my nine-day trip to Isle Royale National Park, the weather was cloudy
at the best. There were four nights of intense rain storms and mostly
cool
temperatures. I
wore the pants each
day of the trip while hiking.
During the mornings, the narrow rocky trails with a considerable amount
of overhanging
vegetation were a significant source of wetness. Humidity was quite
high
(75 to 95 percent). During the first morning, I found that the
pants were too hot while layered over my trail pants so on the other
mornings, I removed my trail pants and just wore the rain pants. This
proved to be perfect for me. The interior of the pants was very
comfortable
against my skin and not at all irritating in any way. The water from
the vegetation didn't seep through the exterior of the pants and my
legs were dry the entire time. I wish I could say that about my shoes
and socks
as they were soaked everyday. I normally wore short gaiters underneath
the pants and over the top of my shoes. During the rustic cabin trip to
the Hiawatha National Forest,
one day had a considerable amount of rain and
thunderstorms. According to the local weather source, over 1.84 in
(4.67 cm) of rain fell. Most of the rain occurred during the morning
hours and then later in the evening hours just after dusk. I did wear
the Celestial Pants for about 2 hours during the mid morning at the
start of that day's hike. They were very effective at keeping me dry
and comfortable. During the rest of the trip, the pants were stowed in
my day pack in case they were needed again.

Comfort
and Fit

The articulated knees of the pants were very adaptable to climbing and
descending rock outcroppings and rugged trails. At Isle Royale, the
island is composed of a series of ridges of which I crossed numerous
times due to my chosen route. I never felt that the design of the pants
hindered my movement in any way. The waistband of the pants with the
drawcord and partial elastic feature were also comfortable and adapted
not only to changes in clothing but were also comfortable while wearing
the hipbelt of my backpack. Although I chose to wear the pants with
just regular underwear during the hiking portion of each day, I often
wore the pants layered with other clothing during the cool evening
hours around camp. Those
layers consisted of my trail pants and lightly-quilted insulated pants.
The 17 in (43 cm) below-the-knee side zippers of the pants were
definitely of sufficient length to allow me to add layers of clothing
without having to remove my shoes -- a very positive perk.

Something to Consider

Although I've been very pleased with the performance of the Celestial
Pants, there's one design feature on the pants that I feel could be
improved.
Because I was subjected to cooler temperatures on much of the island
trip, I
immediately noticed that there's really no adjustment factor for the
lower leg closures. The back of each leg has an elastic edge and
the pants do snap at the lower side seams. However, there's still major
air space
left with these two features. I would prefer to have the ability to
seal off the warmer air inside the pants by making the lower leg edges
more
adjustable. A simple way of doing that would be to remove the elastic
portion and simply use a longer hook and loop tab to seal off the pants
legs. Theoretically the elastic could stay but it also takes longer to
dry when wet. Water beads up and
shakes off the Paclite exterior of the pants but the elastic holds
water
and never really felt dry due to wetness and humidity. I feel that the
elastic also adds more weight to the garment than its worth, even
though the pants are already lightweight.

Other
Uses

During the field test period, I have also worn the Celestial Pants over
my bike shorts for two of my mountain bike rides. They were removed
after I got sufficiently warm and then stowed in my bike pack. I have
also
worn the Celestial Pants over running shorts for a couple of trail runs
for rain protection. They were very comfortable to wear and I kept them
on during the entire 5 mi (8 km) runs.

Packability
The pants have been easy to stow in my pack when they aren't needed. On
the last few trips they were rarely stowed, but on the trip to Glacier
National Park, they were carried during the majority of the hiking
hours. I normally just stowed them in a stuff sack with a rain jacket
and rain mitts in the readily accessible back pocket of my pack. The
pants do feature a mesh self-stowing pocket, but I prefer the previous
method. The pocket itself, I haven't used to store anything but I can
honestly say that I never use back pockets on any garment.

Durability
and Care

So far, there haven't been any issues with durability, but I
will look further at that in the long term report. I have already
washed the pants several times with minimal effort. I simply washed
them with warm water and then tumble dried for ten minutes. The pants
were dry except for the elastic portions of the waistband and lower
edges. I then hung the pants to finish drying. I didn't use fabric
softener as suggested by the manufacturer as I assume that it would
interfere with its water-shedding capabilities.

In addition to durability issues, I will also try using the instep lace
loop feature on the pants
instead of gaiters. I will report on their functionality. Top
of Page

Long
Term Report:Outdoor
Research Celestial PantsNovember 13, 2007

Locations
and Conditions

During
the long term test period, I have worn the Outdoor Research Celestial
Pants
during a four-day backpacking trip. In addition, the pants were worn
for dayhikes and frequently worn or carried
for trail
runs, mountain biking and other outings (usually 2 to 3 times a week).
Locations ranged
from
and included conifer and deciduous
forest communities with many rock outcroppings to lowland swamps.
Elevation ranged from 600 ft (183 m) to approximately 1200 ft
(366 m).

During the long term test period, I have continued to enjoy the
attributes of the Celestial Pants. The temperatures have cooled
considerably in the last two months resulting in many opportunities
to wear the pants to extend the warmth of my clothing choices. They
offered great wind protection as well as their primary function as rain
pants. It began raining quite often in early September and now in
addition to rain there has been episodes of sleet and snow. The
Celestials have been easy to wear over other clothing choices including
silk Capilene long underwear, assorted trail pants and 200 wt fleece
tights. On
my backpacking trip
during this period they were worn over two layers during both an
evening and an entire day of rain. During those times, my underneath
layers stayed
completely dry.

Instep
Lace Loop Feature
I've tried to use the instep-lace loop
feature a few times during day outings. At first I placed a piece of
cordage around the instep of each of my boots
and secured each end through the loops on the pants with a couple of
half-hitch knots on each one. Although that theoretically worked, I
found that when I climbed or bent my knees more than when walking on
level ground, that the pants would pull downwards. Ideally a very
stretchy
cord might work better to accommodate flexibility.

Durability
and CareAt
the end of the test period, I've had the misfortune for the
Celestial Pants to suffer two tears in the PacLite fabric. Both of
these tears
are located on the lower portion of the pants (one on the back of each
leg) and were presumably both torn
by rough vegetation. I noticed when one of the tears occurred when I
was
lifting my left leg
over a downed tree on an off-trail route. Since the damage occurred
during
the only bushwhack trail outing I did during the entire test period,
I'm
convinced that the fabric is too delicate to hold up to direct contact
with harsh vegetation. However, the Celestial Pants have been ideal
trail
pants
for normal trekking on groomed trails. I will continue to wear them
only in that fashion. I don't know when the other tear happened but it
was also inflicted during that trip. I have repaired both tears in the
pants with Bondex
self-stick nylon fabric tape. This inexpensive tape has worked
marvelously on other
clothing and gear throughout the years. I don't have any doubt that it
will
extend
the life of the Celestial Pants. This tape normally stays in place
during repeated washings as long as the garment isn't subject to hot
dryers. I have continued to
wash the pants with minimal effort. The water-shedding aspect of the
pants is also still intact. I've noticed that moisture in the form of
rain or snow continues to
bead up and run off easily.

Tester Remarks

This report
concludes the test series for the Celestial Pants. Thanks
to Outdoor Research and BackpackGearTest
for the
great
opportunity to test the Women's Celestial Pants.

Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.